Tease
by xxGUSHINESSxx
Summary: Somewhere along the way Beast Boy's teasing of Raven became flirting. One-shot. BB/Rae.


**Author's Note:**

 _As promised, a fun little fic exploring Beast Boy's flirtation with Raven. This one is more in Beast Boy's perspective. This story takes place over a matter of days. For those of you who haven't read my fic Pool yet, check it out! I appreciate any feedback! Still debating whether or not to write a second part, I'm sure I will at some point though._

~0~0~0~

 _The Kitchen – 10:32 am_

"Hey, hey Raven."

Silence.

"Raven. Hey, Raven."

A sigh.

"RAVEN."

"Can't I enjoy _one_ morning in peace?" Raven grumbled, removing a teabag from her cup.

"You didn't answer my question."

"You didn't _ask_ one."

"…I didn't?"

Raven looked to the ceiling. " _Azar,_ give me strength."

Beast Boy grinned. "I was just gonna ask to try some of your tea."

Raven arched an eyebrow. " _You_ want to try herbal tea?"

"Yeah! Can I?"

"If you make your own."

"…I can't just have some of yours?"

Raven frowned. "I don't like to share drinks."

"I'm clean I promise!" he protested.

She gave him a skeptical look. Then, probably sensing she wasn't going to win this battle, just handed him the cup. "I'll make another one," she muttered in annoyance.

"Aw, poor Rae-Rae has to heat up water _twice_ in one day," Beast Boy said, pretending to rub his eyes. He couldn't keep up the charade for much longer without bursting into laughter.

The sound of his tinkling giggles at her expense was enough for a brief, yet jarring lapse in her powers. The mug he held engulfed in black energy and the tea burst from its container like a geyser. Beast Boy watched as the liquid soared up, up, up, and he cleverly sidestepped to avoid the hot water from raining down on him.

"Oops," Raven deadpanned, not bothering to turn around as she fashioned herself a second cup.

Beast Boy shrugged, either not understanding or choosing to ignore her sarcastic attempt at an apology. "It's okay, Rae. I sort of like a woman who can kill me."

He saw her shoulders tense up, and he gulped. Across the room Robin made eye contact with him and just shook his head, as if to say "Wrong move, Pal."

Whoopsie. He'd only meant to tease, just to say a mild insult, but this one sounded almost like a compliment. That was dangerous.

"Coming Cyborg!" he called out to no one, morphing into a cheetah and racing out of the room.

 _The Training Room – 11:44 am_

She was meditating while he was forced to run laps…and Robin was okay with it! Spiky-haired jerk. How was it fair that he had to run around like a dog, all sweaty, while she got to float up and down. Or levitate. Same difference.

He casually walked over to her when Robin became busy sparring with Starfire. Their new relationship was advantageous to Beast Boy's lifestyle of avoiding training; that was for sure. He tiptoed over to where Raven levitated, her legs crossed. Before he even got the chance to open his mouth she said-

"Do you mind?"

"Do I mind what?"

"Leaving me be?"

"I can't keep you company?"

"Can't you keep someone _else_ company?"

"Have you noticed that everything we've said so far is a question?"

She opened her eyes, an aggravated look on her face. "Just tell me what you want, so we can get this over with."

Beast Boy cocked his head to the side. "This?"

"This interaction." Her eye twitched.

"Okay. Knock-knock."

The twitching became more intense.

Beast Boy laughed nervously. "This is where you're supposed to say 'who's there.'"

"Beast Boy, leave Raven alone," Robin called over.

Beast Boy threw his arms up. "Why does everyone think I'm annoying her?"

Raven crossed her arms, her body still in lotus position. "Because you are. You're distracting."

"Big whoop. You distract me all the time!" His frown deepened.

"Oh, how adorable!" Starfire crooned, her hands laced together.

Raven's cheeks turned pink, and Beast Boy blinked, not sure if he was imagining the color or not. The empath huffed and then landed on the ground, before turning on her heel and walking out of the room. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched her exit. He hadn't meant it like that at all. This was the second time today his words had been taken out of context.

Why was everyone taking it that way?

 _The Ops Room – 2:58 pm_

Beast Boy's fingers worked furiously as he struggled to get his character's car in front of Cyborg's. He had never concentrated so hard on anything in his life.

"Yo, Man, why you keeping bugging Raven like that?" Cyborg said offhandedly.

Beast Boy's head snapped to Cyborg to give him a bewildered look. At that same moment his car crashed and the game ended. The changeling let out a wail to mourn the loss of his character.

"You messed me up!"  
"Answer the question, Green Bean."

Beast Boy flopped his back against the sofa. "I always bug Raven. She gets mad at me. It's our thing. I don't know what the big deal is!" His last sentence came out a little harsher than he intended.

Cyborg regarded him in mild surprise. "Okay, Man, chill. I know you guys got this whole old married couple gig. It just seems a little more…oh, I don't know…it's almost like…"

"Just spit it out, Dude."

"…Like you got a thing for her."

Beast Boy's eyes bugged out. "Dude! Are you kidding me?" He laughed. "That's so messed up. I totally don't."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Cuz the past couple of weeks…"

"Look Cy, I've gotta find new ways to tease her, ya know? She's getting used to the same old knock-knock jokes, so I gotta vary it up a bit sometimes. She likes that sarcastic humor, right? Thought maybe if I threw in some shade every now and then-"

"You realize 'throwing light shade' can also sometimes be interpreted as flirting, right?"

Beast Boy paused. "Oh. I didn't think about that."

Cyborg placed his hand on the smaller Titan's shoulder. "All I'm saying is, the past couple of times I've heard you two go at it, you sound like you're sending out some weird vibes her way. Just telling you how it comes across."

"Huh. Okay, I guess I didn't think about it that way."

Cyborg grinned. "You know, I knew you were just dumb. There's no way you actually knew you were flirting with her. You two are like apples and oranges. No way you'd guys would ever be like that." Cyborg turned to the screen. "Wanna go again?"

"Sure."

Beast Boy picked up his controller, not really sure why something Cyborg said had bothered him.

 _The Roof – 12:03 pm_

"Oh, I didn't realize you were up here."

Beast Boy turned around from his place on the edge of the roof. Raven stood off to the side, a little awkwardly, as if she didn't know if she should leave or not.

"Just enjoying the view," Beast Boy said, then reddened at the double meaning. Raven raised an eyebrow, so he gestured wildly to the sky behind him to clarify.

 _No wonder everyone thinks you've got a thing for her, when you talk like that!_

His ears dropped as he figured she needed to meditate, and the last place she would want to do that was near him.

"I can go, if you need to do something," he offered.

Raven regarded him with surprise. "That's…generous of you."

Beast Boy grinned. "Don't act so surprised. I can be super helpful, ya know."

"Sure, Beast Boy."

Raven sat down beside him, crossing her legs as she did so. She made sure her cape was splayed behind her, and she straightened her spine before resting her forearms on her thighs. Beast Boy watched her, thinking that she looked like a statue.

"Weren't you leaving?" she questioned.

He jolted. "Oh, yeah right! Sorry, you just look so…"

She raised her eyebrows. "So what?"

"Like a picture," he said, bringing his thumb and pointer fingers out to form as if he were mimicking a frame. "Everything's, like, symmetrical."

Raven upper lip twitched, and Beast Boy realized again, that his words had come out in a way he hadn't meant. Ugh! Why did this keep happening?

He sprang up from his seat, mostly just to put some distance between him and Raven. She didn't say anything to him, and he believed she was probably just content with ignoring him. As he started to walk away he became annoyed. Annoyed with her and with himself, and with everyone who kept assuming he was saying things and he meant things when he said them and said things he meant and-

"I'm not a pervert you know!" he blurted out, whipping around to face her, and even giving a stomp of his foot for extra effect. He expected her to be surprised at his outburst, even to contend it, but she didn't even turn around.

"Beast Boy, if I truly thought that, I wouldn't have let you walk away just now," she replied simply, still facing the ocean.

That was enough of a threat to send him running for the hills.

 _The Pizzeria – 6:22 pm_

"So the city's hosting an event they'd like us to attend tomorrow," Robin told them over a greasy pizza pie. "It's sort of like a meet and greet for all the city's officials. They thought it would be a good chance for us to engage with the public, maybe meet some fans

"Can't we just send Beast Boy and Starfire?" Raven asked. "No offense Robin, but you and I aren't exactly meet and greet material."

"Yeah, and I like people, but I got my limits!" Cyborg added.

Robin sighed. "They want _all_ of usto be there. We should at least show our faces, even if we leave most of the talking to Beast Boy and Star."

Beast Boy nudged Raven. "So, you finally admit I'm good at something, huh?"

Raven narrowed her eyes. "You're good at not realizing when you're stepping on someone's foot."

"Oh, that's your foot? I thought it was the slice Cyborg dropped a while ago," he pondered, making no attempt to remove his foot.

Raven jerked her appendage out from under him, casting him a glare, before returning to her dinner. Beast Boy tried not to be bothered by how quickly she was willing to block him out.

As the table became enveloped in light conversation, Beast Boy's eyes roamed finally landing on Robin and Starfire's interlocked hands. They were really perfect for each other. Everyone had known for years, but of course Robin had been oblivious. Beast Boy couldn't help but think back to the conversation he had had with Cyborg yesterday. The cybernetic teen was so convinced that he had been flirting with Raven lately…which was ridiculous! Still, the changeling couldn't contain the part of his mind that feared maybe he was the Robin in this scenario. He shuddered at the thought.

 _Jump City Hall – 9:37 am_

Beast Boy honestly thought he would have more fun at this fan meet and greet. He was always down for signing autographs and for regaling his adoring fans with his adventures, but instead most of the focus appeared to be on Robin and Starfire and their new status as a couple.

"Don't tell me you're actually jealous of them," Raven said once she had pried herself away from her own fans, a group of pale, darkly dressed teens.

"How can I not be? They're getting all the attention!" he complained.

"All attention is not the same thing as _good_ attention," she pointed out, and the pair watched the couple interact with a sweaty, portly man who appeared to be on the verge of cardiac arrest.

"I'm so glad you two finally decided to make it official," the man was saying. He brandished a thick notebook. "Ever since the Titans formed I've been writing fantasies about the two of you getting together in _explicit detail._ "

Robin's face was as red as a tomato, and even Starfire looked perturbed. "Oh," she said her voice several notches higher than normal, "you did _not_ need to do _that!"_

Beast Boy chuckled. "Maybe you're right."

"We knew Starfire would be popular at this event," Raven continued.

"Yeah, why do you think that is?"

"Because she's a strong member of the team, and she's an alien," Raven paused, "and she's beautiful."

Beast Boy nodded. Yeah, she was. Starfire had this kind of beauty that just made you want to look at her when she walked into the room. Many had instantly fallen for her, Robin included. Beast Boy had never told anyone this, but even he had harbored a tiny crush on her, when the Titans were first starting out anyway. He quickly realized she wasn't his type though. She wasn't nearly sarcastic enough.

"I'm going to go back to the Tower. Robin said we didn't have to stay for very long."

He regarded her with surprise. "You don't have any more fans to meet?"

"I've met all the ones I've wanted to," she told him. "Everyone else is…well…creepy." She seemed a bit embarrassed at the admission.

"Oh…not the good kind of creepy?"

"No."

"…Have I ever told you that I think _you're_ the good kind of creepy?"

"Stop."

 _The Boardwalk – 9:52 pm_

The team was enjoying a nice night at the boardwalk carnival. Starfire had immediately dragged Robin onto the Ferris wheel for nostalgic purposes, so that left Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven to travel from carnie stand to carnie stand.

"I don't know why I'm still standing here. I don't even enjoy carnival games," Raven muttered, leaning against a wooden beam of one of the stands.

"It's cuz you want us to win you another prize," Beast Boy said waggling his eyebrows.

"I think you mean _you,_ seeing as Cyborg left five minutes ago."

"No he didn't he's right…what the-"

She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed further down the boardwalk. Beast Boy followed her finger and discovered Cyborg was chatting it up with this blonde chick.

 _You go, Cy!_

"Guess it's just you and me then," he said turning back around to face her.

"Great," she said sarcastically.

Beast Boy frowned. "We don't have to play carnie games if you don't want. You can pick what we do."

Raven blinked in surprise. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not?" He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Okay," she said, a little unsurely. She glanced around the boardwalk. "Follow me."

"Sure."

They walked down the boardwalk, almost all the way to the very end. They didn't talk much, but Beast Boy didn't mind. The firework show was starting, so he was entertained by the brilliant display of lights above him, as well as the color impressions they made on the people and objects along the boardwalk.

He glanced at Raven, noticing how her eyes didn't even bother looking up at the sky. She stared straight ahead, her chin tucked down a little, as if she wasn't entirely comfortable being in such a public, jovial setting. As the reds, and greens, and blues, and yellows from the sky lit up her features, Beast Boy realized that she was actually kind of pretty.

Maybe he would have noticed sooner if she weren't glaring at him all the time.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"We're here," she said simply, and he looked around, noticing that the boardwalk had ended, and there were barely any people around. In fact, there wasn't much of _anything_ around, besides a couple boulders and the beach.

Beast Boy watched as she levitated over to one of the rocks and crossed her legs, not bothering to see if he followed her or not. He did, if only to see what she was up to. Choosing the boulder next to her he climbed on top of it and stared out across the dark water. Every once in a while the fireworks above would light up the area, scattering colors along their cheeks.

"I don't know why you chose this place," Beast Boy said offhandedly. "No one's even around."

"Precisely."

"Oh." Beast Boy grinned. "Now I get it. Guess you just couldn't resist bringing me along with you."

Raven rolled her eyes. "I doubt you would have left me alone even if I had threatened you."

"Well, that's usually how it goes anyway. Not like I deserve it…most of the time," he added as an afterthought. He felt a surge of pride when he saw the corner of her mouth turn up.

They didn't really talk that much for the rest of the time they were out there. They mostly just sat and watched the water, even long after the fireworks had stopped.

It was the best night Beast Boy had had in a while.

 _A Jump City Street – 10:01 am_

Beast Boy morphed into an armadillo and rolled out of the way just in time for Cinderblock's fist to come crashing down. As he transformed back the changeling cringed at the large indent in the pavement the stony villain had made.

"Yikes, and I thought _I_ wasn't a morning person," he quipped.

"At least Cinderblock's quieter," Raven said without batting an eye as she levitated past him. Beast Boy rolled his eyes, but marveled at the way she side swept Cinderblock with her powers, causing the creature to stumble.

As Cinderblock turned toward Raven he faltered again as Cyborg's sonic blast bit into his shoulder. Roaring angrily, he picked up a nearby car and hocked it at the half-robot, only to be intercepted by Starfire. Using her strength, she caught the car as if it were a made of air, before playing it carefully to the side. Her eyes widened as Cinderblock started to charge her, but it was Robin's turn to do some damage.

As Cinderblock lifted his arm back, preparing to bring it down on Starfire's head, it was restrained by Robin's grappling hook. The massive, stone man glanced at his arm in confusion before using his strength to tug the grappling hook-and Robin with it-into the air, sending the Boy Wonder crashing into Cyborg.

Beast Boy barreled into Cinderblock as a T-Rex, using his massive head to butt into the villain's chest. Cinderblock let out a growl and pushed back, surprisingly knocking the changeling back a few paces. Starbolts rained down on Cinderblock next, but this time he was ready. Using his strength, he broke off a metal lightpost and bent it into a 'V' before flinging it at Starfire. The redhead grunted as the object made its mark and she crashed onto the street.

"Alright, I think it's about time we wrap this up," Raven said, summoning her magic words. _"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"_

At once black energy coiled around Cinderblock, and the villain tried to twist out of the restraints with an enraged growl.

"Sweet!" Beast Boy cheered Raven from the side, as the rest of their friends slowly gathered themselves. "You go, Mama!"

He had no idea where the nickname had come from. He had never said it before, never even thought about saying it, so needless to say it surprised him.

He wasn't the only one. At the sound of the name, a muscle in Raven's face ticked and her powers shot out in every which way, not only slicing several light posts in half, but also knocking every single Titan down in the process, including herself. And when they went down, they went down _hard._ Hard enough and long enough for Cinderblock to lumber his way out of sight.

 _The Jump City Mall – 2:14pm_

Beast Boy cringed when he made eye contact with Raven and she quickly looked away. Things had been a little uncomfortable between them since their fight with Cinderblock. Beast Boy suspected that Raven felt embarrassed for the lapse in her powers, and angry at him for making her do so. It's not like it was his fault though! How was he supposed to know he was going to call her that?

The two were currently at "the mall of shopping" with Starfire. The Tamaranean had originally requested Raven's company, but the empath had turned her down. Beast Boy had offered to go with her instead, but this must have ticked Raven off because as soon as he had spoken up, she changed her mind. Beast Boy wasn't the brightest kid on the block, but he had a feeling she didn't want him showing her up when it came to bonding with Starfire. It seemed as though she had a personal vendetta against him lately.

"I do not think this color is very flattering on me," Starfire said as she held up a yellow crop top; the innocent alien was completely oblivious to the tension around her. "What do you think, Friend Beast Boy?"

"Uh, I think yellow's a cool color on you," Beast Boy offered, not really sure if this was sound advice. Fashion wasn't really his forte.

"What do you think Friend Raven?"

"It's a little bright for my tastes," the pale girl replied, looking disapprovingly of the garment.

"Don't listen to her, Star. Raven's probably still bitter about that yellow dress Mother-Mae-Eye made her wear!" Beast Boy commented, his voice laced with laughter.

Starfire put her finger to her lip in thought. "I see. I thought you looked quite lovely Raven. Did you not also think this Beast Boy?"

"She'd look sweet in anything, if you ask me." Well, _that_ was certainly forward…and would perhaps result in a few broken bones later.

Raven glared at Beast Boy, but instead of looking away awkwardly he just stuck his tongue out at her. She was _so_ not gonna win this round.

"I think I shall get it," Starfire announced, smiling down at the shirt.

"Great!" Beast Boy said enthusiastically.

"Great," Raven said sarcastically.

Starfire glanced around the store. "You do not wish to try something on, Raven?"

"No."

"Oh please! You do not have to purchase the item. Please allow me to select something for you."

"Starfire I-"

"Aw come on, Rae. Don't tell me you can take on Trigon, but you can't try on a shirt from the discount rack," Beast Boy teased.

Some of the clothing items began to be coated in black energy, but Raven took a deep breath to retain her powers. "Fine. _One_ thing."

"Glorious!" Starfire cheered, clapping her hands together. She flew around the store looking for a few minutes before handing Raven a dark maroon dress and ushering her to the fitting room.

Beast Boy and Starfire waited outside for several minutes before they heard a soft sigh from the other side of the fitting room door.

"Do I have to come out?"

"Yes," Beast Boy and Starfire sang.

So she did. The door opened and out came a very grumpy Raven in a _very_ short, _very_ form-fitting evening dress. It was clear right away that the garment was two sizes too small, and Beast Boy could tell Raven recognized that, for her face was as red of the dress. She looked up at him, narrowing her eyes as if daring him to comment, but honestly his own face was so red he didn't think he could even find it in him to tease.

"Oh my," Starfire said, taking in the length of the dress. "Perhaps I have misjudged your size…"

Turning on her heel, Raven shut the door behind her and emerged again in her regular uniform. On the way home Starfire engaged in conversation with her fellow female teammate while Beast Boy found for once in his life that he didn't have anything to add.

 _The Training Grounds – 8:06 am_

"Yaaaaaa!"

Starfire yelled as she shot her eyebeams at Cyborg. The cybernetic teen leapt out of the way to narrowly avoid the blast. The green energy missed him, but only barely. The place where he had once been exploded in rocks and dust. Cyborg whipped around and fired his sonic cannon, but Starfire used her flight to weave out of his attack. Beast Boy watched from the sidelines with Raven and Robin, extremely impressed with how hard the two Titans were working each other.

"Switch to close combat!" Robin ordered, and both Cyborg and Starfire followed suit.

The two teens landed only few feet away from each other, Starfire at first lashing out with a kick, but Cyborg ducking and sweeping her feet out from under her. The redhead rolled out to the side to avoid his next punch, grabbing onto his arm mid-air and then using her strength to flip him over her back. _Hard._ The half-robot landed with a crash and it appeared as if the breath had been completely knocked out of him as he wheezed out, "Okay y'all, I'm done for the day."

Starfire helped her friend up as Robin calculated the match time. "Six minutes and forty-nine seconds. Not bad. Alright, Raven, Beast Boy, you're up. Same as the last round: Long range combat until I say otherwise."

Beast Boy moved into the center of the dirt clearing that made up the Titans' training grounds. Raven took her place across from him, her hood already up.

"Remember, play to your opponents weaknesses!" Robin called as he started the timer. "Go!"

The two teens leapt into action. Beast Boy immediately took to the skies as a falcon, and Raven levitated upwards to join him in the air.

" _Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"_ she cried, using her energy to wrap around him.

Beast Boy changed into a fly at the last moment, so she lost sight of him, and he was able to escape her entrapment. Changing into a sparrow he flitted back down to the ground, trying to get her to follow him.

 _Play to her weaknesses? I guess I could do that._

Beast Boy knew Raven enough by now that if something caught her off guard in the wrong way, she would lose control of her powers for a split second. He knew if he were to say something that would surprise her, this would be his only chance to beat her.

The only problem was he couldn't very well speak in his animal forms. He would have to wait until Robin called for them to switch to close combat…if he could survive her attacks for that long.

Once she had followed him back down to the ground, Beast Boy morphed into a boa constrictor, springing at her and wrapping around her mouth so she could not summon her words again. She struggled rather humorously against his hold until she decided to just phase into the ground to escape. She emerged only a second later, using her powers to cave the ground beneath him. Beast Boy transformed into a rabbit, hopping desperately out of the way before the shifting earth swallowed him up.

 _I need to throw her off, but what can I say?_

As he transformed back into a falcon an idea popped into his mind, but it was bold. Dare he say even risky, but it just might be stupid enough to work.

"Switch to close combat!" Robin ordered, and Beast Boy breathed a sigh of relief.

He transformed back into his human form, knowing that for this portion of the spar Robin was looking for hand to hand combat over use of powers. Raven levitated closer to him, landing on the ground before sweeping her cape away from her. As Beast Boy threw a couple of hits, Raven used her powers to expertly block them before kicking out at him. She landed a pretty solid kick to his chest, which caused him to stumble, and he almost choked on his own spit. He knew he would never be able to get his own attacks in if she kept using her powers to block him.

 _Trick time._

"Hey Raven," Beast Boy panted, as he ducked to avoid another kick, "wanna go out some time?"

Raven's entire body stiffened and her powers wavered for a millisecond, just enough time for Beast boy to make his move. With her powers on the fritz from his emotional attack he reached forward and twisted her arm around her back, before firmly pressing her front into the dirt. He hovered over her, making sure he had a strong hold on her arms, only slightly scared at the fact that he had literally face-planted the half-demon into the earth.

"Time!" Robin called, probably sensing the sparring session had come to a close.

Beast Boy released his hold on Raven and stepped back from her immediately, surprised at how quick she straightened. He winced when he realized her face was coated in mud, and he expected red demon eyes to gaze upon him, or at the very least be transported to Hell. To his surprise, however, Raven merely brushed past him and the others, as if she had somewhere she had to get to in a hurry. She nearly ran Robin over when he tried to stop her.

Beast Boy frowned as he watched her go. He had only flirted in jest to catch her off guard, which it clearly had. Surely she had to realize he wasn't serious. His frown deepened.

Did the thought of going out with him really upset her that much?

 _Beast Boy's Room – Time Unknown_

 _"I didn't realize you liked maroon so much."_

 _"I didn't either."_

 _"Why the change?"_

 _"I think you know."_

 _"You would have said the same thing if it were Starfire."_

 _"Nah. Starfire's pretty and all but you're…"_

 _"What am I Gar?"_

 _"Um…I dunno. You make me feel…weird."_

 _"I didn't ask you how you_ felt, _I asked you how you think I look."_

 _"The real Raven wouldn't care about that."_

 _"You don't think I'm the real Raven?"_

 _"Um…I dunno. I guess not. You haven't killed me yet or anything, I mean."_

 _"Garfield. You're avoiding the question."_

 _"What do you want me to say?"_

 _"I want you to tell me the truth."_

 _"I don't know Rae…"_

 _"Let me help you make up your mind."_

 _He blinked and she was on the ops sofa, her arms resting casually against the back. One of her legs was tucked up tight to her body; the other fell so her foot was planted on the ground. That dress rode up high on her thighs; the dark red color was startling against her moonlit skin. One of her hands came up to touch the back of her neck as she stared at him in a way she never had before. He watched her as she watched him._

 _"What do you think?" She bit her lip._

Beast Boy's eye snapped open, and he realized in dismay that he had sweat through his uniform. Jumping down from his bunk he peeled himself out of his attire, ignoring the tightness in his groin, and redressed himself in a fresh uniform. Then, realizing he wasn't going back to bed anytime soon, he decided he needed a change of scenery.

 _The Ops Room – 3:33 am_

After he had brushed his teeth to get the sour taste out of his mouth, Beast Boy went into the ops room intending to play video games to distract himself.

Yeah. He had had _those_ dreams before, but they weren't ever as vivid, and they _definitely_ weren't ever about one of his teammates. He felt perverted.

He had figured out a while ago that he was attracted to Raven. His dream alone had proved that. It probably explained why he was starting to flirt with her, and why he actually really liked doing it. Hey, he couldn't help it that she was the most badass woman he had ever met, and was pretty cute to top it all off.

Beast Boy was so lost in his thoughts that he almost let out a scream when he saw Raven's cloaked figure with her back to him. She was standing by the massive ops windows, just staring out onto the darkened bay.

 _Of course, cuz why wouldn't she be here after you've been thinking about that dress?_ He shook his head at his luck.

Knowing she definitely sensed him entering, he decided to just approach her as he would any normal day, bearing in mind that on no normal occasion had they been alone together at this hour.

"You an insomniac too?" he asked, coming to stand beside her.

"I needed time to think." Her tone was stiff, and Beast Boy remembered that she was probably still upset about their sparring match the day before.

"Look Rae, I'm sorry I said that stuff back there during our training session. I know it was kind of a cheap shot."

She didn't respond.

He scratched the back of his head. "I only did it because I knew I wouldn't have a chance otherwise."

Nothing.

Beast Boy let out a loud sigh, aggravated that she was being so difficult. "Look, I don't know why you're being so annoyed with me lately, but-"

"Why do you say those things to me if you don't mean them?" she said, staring hard out the window.

"Huh?" Beast Boy asked, one of his ears dropping down.

"You know what I mean. The comments, the looks. Do you think you're being clever?"

Beast Boy didn't answer for several seconds. He stared at the floor. "What makes you think I don't mean any of them?"

Raven turned to glare at him, and although it was dark, he could see she was trying to hide the hurt on her face. "Because that's so 'messed up.'"

Beast Boy's face reddened, and he looked off to the side in shame. So she had overheard him talking to Cyborg earlier when he had first confronted the changeling about his shameless flirting. He had been harsh, yeah, but that was only because he didn't want Cyborg to think…well, he didn't want himself to think….damn, _he_ was the one that was messed up.

"I'm sorry I said that."

"Forget about it."

"No Rae, I mean it. I shouldn't have said that…I dunno why I even said it 'cuz I don't think that way at all."

"Why say it then?"

"I guess I just didn't want Cyborg giving me a hard time," he answered honestly. "I'm so used to being the one dishing it, at least before Robin and Star were a thing…I just didn't want to have it served right back to me."

"You're an idiot," she responded, but in the darkness Beast Boy could see the tiniest trace of her smile.

"I know," he replied, grinning.

She paused. "You did succeed at throwing me off," she admitted, referring to their sparring earlier. "I don't think Azar himself could have prepared me for that."

Beast Boy chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, that kinda came out of nowhere."

She turned her head to look at him, an eyebrow raised. "Did it?"

Beast Boy shut his mouth, unsure of how to respond. He hoped that the room was dark enough that she couldn't detect the blush that had spread across his face, undoubtedly creating unpleasant coloring. The silence in the room was heavy, but neither seemed in a rush to fill it. Raven stared back at him, blinking slowly, as if waiting for him to come back with some juvenile remark. For once he had nothing.

He could literally hear the pounding of his own heartbeat. He picked up hers as well, strong, but not quiet as loud. Was it possible that she was just as uncertain as he was?

He became aware of how close they were when she exhaled and her cool breath fanned across his cheeks. He dipped his head a little, watching, waiting even, to see if she would do anything.

She didn't move. She was as still as a statue…but maybe it was the trick of the moonlight for he could have sworn her eyelids began to droop.

He dipped his head lower, angling it slightly as he finally shut his eyes and closed the distance between them. His lips touched hers softly, chastely, just a brief but firm contact, before he pulled away.

When he opened his eyes he noticed she was regarding him curiously, but a deep blush had covered her own face. Huh. _He_ had made _Raven_ blush. He had _kissed_ Raven.

"Um…" he said, because he didn't know what else to say.

"We should go to bed," she told him nonchalantly, as if he were the only one who had just had his mind completely blown.

He nodded dumbly, for what else was there to do? As they separated, he felt strangely unsatisfied. He hoped in the morning things would begin to make a little more sense.

 _The Kitchen – 9:29 am_

Beast Boy strode into the kitchen the same way he always did every morning. Robin was hunched over eating his eggs while simultaneously looking at some files, Starfire was tending to Silkie on the sofa, Cyborg sat nearby watching television, and Raven was concocting her usual brew of herbal tea.

The changeling casually slid onto a booth seat next to his team leader, making sure to lean over the counter so he could talk to the empath across the island.

"Why, good morning Rae-Rae," he said, smiling widely.

Honestly he didn't know what he was expecting, maybe a soft smile or even a nod, but she just completely ignored him. Beast Boy's smile faded.

"How you doing this morning, Rae?"

"I'll be 'doing' better once I've had my tea." Her tone was clipped, just as usual when she spoke to him this early.

"Well maybe I can-"

"Beast Boy, I'm not in the mood."

He fell silent, which was uncharacteristic of him, especially considering it was Raven that had wanted such a thing. Normally, this meant he would have teased her even more, but something was…off. And _especially_ considering last night, maybe the best thing was to honor her request.

Robin looked up at him curiously, no doubt confused by the changeling's obedience. Beast Boy just shrugged at him as Raven made herself busy again. Better to act like nothing was out of the ordinary. As he stepped away from the counter however, he had a sinking feeling in his chest, as if he had made a terrible mistake.

 _Starfire's Room – 11:53 am_

"Hey Star?" Beast Boy asked hesitantly as he stuck his head in her room. "Mind if I come in?"

"Of course not, Friend! I am merely giving Silkie his daily tissue massage to relieve any of his stress!" Starfire replied, sitting on her bed while kneading the mutant.

"Oh, um, great," the changeling said, stepping into the room and standing by her doorway awkwardly. He hadn't been in Starfire's room often, so the various pinks were quite an assault on his eyes. Starfire patted the place beside her and after a moment he sat on her best, crossing his feet.

"You require something of me?" she inquired politely, while Silkie cooed in content at her ministrations.

Beast Boy scratched his shoulder uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah. I need some advice actually."

Starfire furrowed her eyebrows as she worked out a particularly tough knot on her pet before gently placing the larva on the ground. Silkie crawled away, happy as a clam. With her daily ritual accomplished, the Tamaranean turned to face Beast Boy, her attention solely fixed on her friend.

"I see. You wish to have 'the girl talk?'"

Beast Boy choked on his spit. "Well we don't have to call it that."

Starfire clasped her hands together. "Oh! I am most excited to partake! Please, what is it that ails you?"

Beast Boy looked up at her ceiling, as if he found it to be the most fascinating thing in the world. "How do you know if you like someone more than a friend?"

Starfire smiled. "Oh, you must be feeling the confusing feelings. Well, I cannot speak for you, but I can regale you of how I felt when I first discovered I had the feelings for Robin."

Beast Boy tried not to cringe. He desperately needed this advice from Starfire, but thinking of _Robin_ in any sort of romantic context was nauseating to say the least.

"I would first notice the physical things. I would get 'the warm fuzzies' when he spoke to me, and my stomachs would flip," she told him. "I would also feel my cheeks redden when he would glance my way."

Beast Boy chuckled. "Yeah, you did blush a lot around him."

Starfire giggled. "The next thing to come to my attention would be the emotional desire to constantly be by his side. Every time he would go to his room after a long mission it would make me most upset that he would not wish to spend time with his friends…and with me." She smiled sadly at the memories.

"So…was there like, one moment where you just _knew_ you had a thing for him?"

Starfire shook her head. "It certainly would have been much easier that way. The feelings do the sneaking up on you, and I would wager a _portkin_ that if you are questioning your feelings, than it is most likely you already feel such things for this person."

Beast Boy laughed nervously. "Who said I was asking for me?"

Starfire smiled. "Because lately you have been reminding me of myself when _I_ first fell into love."

 _The Tower Hallway – 5:58 pm_

A few days had passed and Beast Boy had finally grown tired of Raven ignoring him. He confronted her in the hallway when he knew she would emerge from her room for dinner. He followed her as a mouse for a couple of feet but morphed back into a human when she stopped dead in her tracks. She must have sensed he was following her.

"Why've you been ignoring me?" he asked her, completely miffed.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I always ignore you."

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Not like this. Look, if you're upset with me just say it, okay? I'm no good at these guessing games."

"You're _imagining_ things, Beast Boy," she replied evenly, but he knew she was lying when he detected a faint dusting of pink across her cheeks. She turned to go but he placed his hand on her shoulder to prevent her from doing so.

"Why are you pretending that that night didn't happen?" he asked.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "I'm not pretending."

"Well, we never talked about it."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Beast Boy gritted his teeth. "Well excuse me, Raven, but I'm pretty sure I made it kinda clear how I felt, and I didn't hear you complaining the other night when we were ki-"

"Hey, y'all headed for dinner?" Cyborg asked as he rounded a corner. He paused when he noticed the tense posture of both Titans. "Uh…everything okay?"

"Fine," Beast Boy and Raven chorused.

Cyborg gave them an uneasy look, probably realizing that he didn't want to get involved in whatever the two were arguing about. "Right. See you guys later."

After he disappeared again, Raven sighed. "If you want to talk, we shouldn't do it so out in the open."

" _This_ is out in the open?" Beast Boy asked incredulously.

Raven glared at him. "Do you want to discuss that night or not?"

The changeling crinkled up his face in annoyance. " _Duh._ "

"Then after everyone's gone to bed, meet me in the ops room." Without another word she turned on her heel and rounded the corner, her cloak billowing out behind her. As soon as she had gone, a mixture of nervous excitement erupted in Beast Boy's stomach. She had promised to finally talk to him. That was a start.

Even so there was an inkling of doubt in his mind that he was about to get his heart broken for the second time in his life.

 _The Ops Room – 12:10 am_

She was late. And Raven was _never_ late.

He was the late one if anything, but he had come to the ops room as soon as he was sure everyone had gone to bed for the night. He expected that maybe he was perhaps a little too early, in case Robin or someone came to get a drink of water or a midnight snack.

He sat on the sofa, attempting to look busy in case someone other than Raven was to arrive. The efforts were wasted, for no one entered the common area, including the person he was determined to talk to about…certain things.

Just when he was starting to debate going back to his room, the main ops doors open and Raven walked in, moving calmly over to the kitchen to fix herself a cup of herbal tea. Beast Boy watched her in surprised; he figured she wouldn't want to prolong talking to him, yet here she was, acting as if she didn't have a care in the world.

Not being able to stand the suspense any longer, he got up from the sofa and stood next to her in the kitchen, just as she began pouring the hot water into a mug.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"I was debating whether or not to come," she told him honestly, setting the kettle down and gripping the mug between two hands. She looked up at him blankly as she blew across the hot water, the steam angling in his direction before returning to its normal path.

He smiled weakly. "Well, it's good you did I guess." When she didn't answer he swallowed nervously. "So…"

"I thought I should owe you an apology," she said suddenly.

Beast Boy cocked his head to the side. "Huh?"

Raven took a sip of her tea and then placed it on the counter. "It seems I've lead you to believe something that isn't true. I may have been…caught up in the heat of the moment the other night which explains my feeble reciprocation." He watched her cheeks heat up. "It was wrong of me to allow you to think I had any romantic interest in you. I assume you've also rethought that night and have realized how ridiculous it was for the both of us to…well…"

"So…you regret it then?" he asked slowly, trying not to let his ears droop.

Raven looked away from him, her eyes trained on her mug. "Beast Boy, surely I don't have to explain to you why the two of us is a bad idea? We have a complicated relationship at best. We drive each other nearly insane. I can't think straight with all of your…your _teasing_ …and…" she trailed off here.

Beast Boy's shoulder slumped. He realized this conversation wasn't at all how he expected to go. He could already feel a familiar aching in his chest. "I guess you're right. It was stupid what we did…I get you think I'm, like, totally immature or whatever. I don't mean to drive you crazy Rae, I just think it's fun to talk to you and," he straightened up, "I'll stop the teasing. I promise."

He sighed, preparing to turn away and head back to his room, when the teacup on the counter suddenly shattered, scattering hot liquid all over the counter. Beast Boy's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at Raven questioningly. Her face was red from embarrassment, and she was looking off to the side.

"I never said you had to… _completely_ stop with that."

Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "B-but you said you couldn't think straight when I-"

Her eyes snapped to his. "I _can't._ Don't you see? My emotions have been out of whack ever since you've started that…particular kind of teasing. I can't meditate; I can barely sleep. I feel like I'm losing control."

Beast Boy stepped toward her to comfort her, but he stopped when his ears picked up the sound of her heartbeat. It was beating wildly, which was unusual for Raven. Even in the heat of battle, she always maintained control of her heartbeat. But now…

"The worst part is, even after all of that…this is the best I've felt in years." Her held tilted downwards slightly, and Beast Boy stood in front of her, closely but awkwardly.

"I thought you said you didn't like me. I t-thought it was the heat of the moment."

She stared at him for several moments, blinking at him, contemplating. Then she glanced up at the ceiling, muttered, "Azar, help me," and then closed the distance between them.

Beast Boy stiffened in surprise as she placed her hand on the back of his neck, bringing his mouth to hers. He could sense how nervous she was, and he almost _never_ sensed Raven as nervous. The notion that she was just as unsure as him made him relax a bit, and he tentatively wrapped his arms around her waist.

He wasn't sure who opened their mouth first, but the taste of her tongue on his was so sweet and so sudden that his heightened senses were momentarily overwhelmed. He cautiously moved his tongue into her mouth, thankful that he had had the foresight to already brush his teeth before coming there.

She moved closer to him and he felt her front flush up against him. He could feel her nervousness begin to shift into excitement, and he made sure to angle his hips away so she couldn't tell how much he reciprocated it. Suddenly feeling bold, he moved his head forward to deepen the kiss, and she made this small noise that made his stomach flip.

He tried to anchor himself by pressing his hand on the counter, but he slipped slightly in the spilt tea, nearly bringing the empath down with him. She gave him a half-amused, half-annoyed look while he looked on sheepishly.

Deciding this part of the kitchen probably wasn't the best for what they were doing, they moved to the other side of the room, first finding themselves on the couch, and then against the windows.

Beast Boy felt her smile, actually _smile_ against his lips as he tangled his fingers in her hair. He was sure he wasn't much of a kisser, but he was just grateful he wasn't awful enough to be sent to another dimension.

Her hands braced themselves against the windows as he moved closer to her, their tongues tangling together. His heart pounded faster as their hands and lips and tongues moved and-

The ops room lights flipped on and both Titans froze in their tracks. Beast Boy whipped around until his back was pressed against the glass windows next to Raven. The two younger Titans stared directly into the shocked face of their leader, his hair mussed from sleep or lack there of.

Robin's face wasn't red like Beast Boy's was, rather it seemed as if all the blood had been leeched from his face. His jaw hung open, bobbing slightly as if he were trying to attempt to speak for the first time. Beast Boy glanced at Raven for help, but she looked just as horrified as he felt. Then, in a moment of panic, she phased through the ground.

 _Dude! She just left me there! The coward!_

Battling demons was one thing, facing the Boy Wonder was apparently something else entirely. Beast Boy turned back to Robin, laughing sheepishly.

"So…you up for a midnight snack?"

Robin did not answer; he merely turned back around, jaw still open, and walked back out the same way he came. Beast Boy stared after him for a few moments, still frozen in shock before he shook his head to clear it. Smiling a little, he changed into a fly and began buzzing toward Raven's room.

Hey, if it had worked once it could work again. Besides, he was _so_ not letting her get away with this.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Hope you enjoyed this little story. I had a lot of fun writing it. Stay tuned, if I write another story it will most likely be part two of "Pool," but I'm open to suggestions. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


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